How To Get A Visa To Somalia
Intro
Somalia isn't the most renowned destination for tourists to go on vacation. However, there are certain travelers like myself who enjoy off-the-beaten-path places. Over the next few blog posts, I will be sharing my experiences in Mogadishu, Somalia, and what it was like, not just what the media shows you. This first post will be about how to get a visa to the country.
If you are looking to book a tour of Mogadishu, Somalia, I am attempting to open up my business for off-the-beaten-path destinations and would love it if you booked a tour through me. I will handle all of the payments and scheduling, thus charging a little bit extra for the services.
The Details
Obtaining a visa through Somalia is relatively easy when at the airport but expensive for one reason: if you are of caucasian descent. There are a couple of requirements when it comes to obtaining a visa, but the primary one is that you must have a letter of invitation (LOI) to be able to board your plane and obtain the visa in Mogadishu.
Tours of Mogadishu, Somalia, are not cheap. I ended up paying about 900$ a day to be on the tour (I charge 1050$ for one day, as it is tedious to send money to Somalia, as well as the time to set up the tour). Thus, you are technically paying 900$ to get a visa to the country since no tour agency will take you without an armed escort.
Here are the steps to get a visa:
Book a tour of Mogadishu, Somalia
Make sure you print out your letter of invitation
Make sure you have no criminal convictions (felonies)
Pay 60$ at the point of entry
Be prepared to pay a little extra (this isn't just Somalia but a lot of places on the African continent)
Voila, you have your visa for Somalia.
Final Thoughts
If you are planning a trip to Somalia and are confused about the visa situation, I hope that this has helped. It's a relatively easy process to acquire a visa; just make sure that you have your letter of invitation on you. My advice would be to print out a couple of copies incase you lose one.
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